United States · United States Congress · 17 October 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement should include Magen David Adom (MDA) as a legitimate national society of the Movement; (2) the Star of David should be recognized as a legitimate symbol of humanitarian concern when utilized by MDA; and (3) all other national societies of the Movement should support full MDA membership.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1991
Provides that the period for which expenses of the former Speakers of the House of Representatives may be paid shall end three years after the expiration date of such term of office, except that in the case of a former Speaker who is receiving such expenses on the date of the enactment of this Act, the period shall end three years after such date.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 1991
Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 1991 - Applies the naturalization through armed forces service provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to an alien who served in a special guerilla unit in Laos during the period February 28, 1961 to September 18, 1978. Waives the English language naturalization requirement for such an alien (or widow or spouse).
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1991
Medical Care Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1991 - Title I: Grants to States for Alternative Dispute Resolution Systems - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for the implementation and evaluation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems. Sets forth eligibility requirements for States seeking such grants. Directs the Secretary to award not less than ten such grants each fiscal year, with exceptions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) designate each State receiving such a grant as a model ADR State (making such State eligible for a two-year extension); and (2) disseminate information on the ADR systems implemented by such States to other States, health care professionals and providers, and other interested parties. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and promulgate standards and regulations necessary to carry out the grant program, including qualification standards that States must meet to receive grants and regulations establishing State data gathering requirements; (2) take into account, in developing qualification standards, specified factors such as the effectiveness of such systems in supporting access to health care, encouraging improvements in the quality of care, resolving claims promptly, and providing predictable outcomes; (3) provide States with technical assistance; and (4) report to the Congress, within four years of the first grant, describing and evaluating the ADR systems implemented. Title II: Uniform Standards for Malpractice Claims - Specifies that, with respect to any health care liability action brought in a Federal or State court and any medical malpractice claim or medical product liability claim subject to an ADR system: (1) no person may be required to pay more than $100,000 in a single payment in damages (whether for economic or non-economic losses) for expenses to be incurred in the future, but shall be permitted to make periodic payments (as determined by the court); (2) the total amount of damages that may be awarded to an individual and the family members of such individual for non-economic losses may not exceed $250,000; (3) the total amount of damages received by an individual shall be reduced by any other payment that has been or will be made to the individual to compensate such individual for the injury that was the subject of the action or claim; (4) a claimant's attorney's fees may not exceed 25 percent of the first $150,000 of any award or settlement, or 15 percent of any additional amounts, paid to the claimant; (5) the total amount of punitive damages that may be assessed may not exceed twice the total amount of the damages awarded to compensate the claimant for losses resulting from the injury; and (6) the liability of each defendant for non-economic losses shall be several only and not joint, and each defendant shall be liable only for the amount of non-economic losses allocated to the defendant in direct proportion to the defendant's percentage of responsibility. Establishes a two-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice and product liability claims, beginning on the earlier of the date on which the injury that is the subject of the action was discovered or the date it should reasonably have been discovered. Specifies that, in the case of a medical malpractice or product liability claim relating to services provided during labor or the delivery of a baby, if the claimant was not previously treated for the pregnancy by the defendant health care professional or provider a court may not find that the defendant committed malpractice and assess damages against the defendant unless the malpractice is proven by clear and convincing evidence. Bars a defendant from being found to have committed malpractice unless the defendant's conduct at the time of providing the health care services was not reasonable, except where the claimant asserts that the defendant is liable under a strict liability theory. Bars the award of punitive damages with respect to any medical product liability claim alleged against a medical product producer if the drug or device that is the subject of the claim: (1) was subject to approval or premarket approval under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with respect to the safety or performance of the drug or device or the adequacy of the packaging or labeling; (2) was approved by FDA; or (3) is generally recognized as safe and effective pursuant to conditions established by FDA and applicable regulations. Makes an exception in the case of withheld information, misrepresentation, or illegal payment to an FDA official for purposes of securing approval of the drug or device. Provides for a separate proceeding to determine punitive damages. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) the admissibility of evidence; and (2) criteria for determining the amount of punitive damages. Provides that the U.S. district courts shall not have jurisdiction over health care liability actions based on Federal questions or based on specified provisions concerning commerce and antitrust regulations. Specifies that this title preempts State law only to the extent that State law: (1) permits the recovery by a claimant or the assessent against a defendant of a greater amount of damages; (2) permits the awarding of a greater amount of attorneys' fees; (3) establishes a longer period during which medical malpractice or product liability claims may be initiated; or (4) establishes a less strict standard of proof for determining whether a defendant has committed malpractice. Title III: Encouraging Establishment of Community and Migrant Health Center Risk Retention Group - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to encourage the establishment of a nationwide risk retention group (RRG) for community and migrant health centers receiving assistance under such Act. Defines an RRG for purposes of this title as an entity defined in the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 that: (1) provides professional liability insurance and other types of profitable insurance approved for issuance by the Secretary to community and migrant health centers; (2) provides insurance that applies to all claims filed against a community or migrant health center after the entity initiates insurance coverage and to claims arising from acts that occurred prior to the initiation of coverage if the claims are not covered by other insurance; and (3) meets such other requirements as the Secretary may establish.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1991
Provides, unless specified conditions are met relating to Serbia's armed conflict with the other ethnic peoples of Yugoslavia, for the: (1) restriction of U.S. assistance to Serbia or any part of Yugoslavia controlled by it; (2) suspension of U.S. air travel to and from such locations; (3) suspension of multinational assistance; and (4) imposition of a U.S. trade embargo.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1991
Sets forth congressional findings with respect to China's: (1) exploiting the labor of Chinese prisoners to produce cheap products for export; (2) detaining many prisoners past the expiration of their sentences in violation of internationally recognized human rights; and (3) holding such prisoners in conditions that fall below international standards for the treatment of prisoners. Urges China to: (1) allow international inspections of detention places suspected of producing export goods; (2) release the texts of government policies regarding such exportation; (3) detail steps it will take to prohibit the export of Chinese prison-made products; and (4) reform the Chinese political, judicial, penal, and economic systems so that Chinese citizens are not jailed for their political and religious beliefs (and receive fair and open trails for any crimes of which they are accused), Chinese prisoners are compensated for their work, and workplace conditions in Chinese prisons are safe and humane. Urges Hong Kong and other nations through which Chinese products are transshipped to: (1) prohibit the importation of Chinese forced labor products; and (2) investigate trading companies suspected of dealing in prison-made goods.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual income tax deduction for contributions to a savings account established to pay the educational expenses (tuition, supplies, meals, and lodging) of the taxpayer's child or certain other relatives at an institution of higher education or a vocational school. Limits the deduction to $150,000 for all taxable years (adjusted for inflation) for each account. Disallows the deduction for contributions to an account maintained for any individual aged 19 or older. Requires any account balance to be distributed after the beneficiary attains age 30. Permits an exclusion from the gross income of the contributor or the beneficiary of account distributions: (1) used to pay educational expenses of the beneficiary; or (2) contributed to the individual retirement plan (IRA) of the contributor. Exempts an account from taxation (except for the tax on unrelated business income of a charitable organization), unless a contributor or the beneficiary engages in specified prohibited transactions in connection with it. Imposes a ten percent surtax on distributions not used for educational purposes. Requires the account trustee to report to the Secretary of the Treasury and to the account's beneficiary concerning the account. Imposes a penalty for failure to report. Allows taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize deductions to deduct for contributions to an education savings account. Imposes penalty taxes in connection with excess contributions or prohibited transactions associated with an account. Exempts from annual contribution limitations any distributions from education savings accounts into IRA's. Excludes from gross income any distributions from IRA's into education savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1991
Condemns: (1) the ongoing violence in Yugoslavia; and (2) the Yugoslav Federal Army's partisan conduct. Calls on: (1) the peoples of the Yugoslav region to reject calls for violent retribution for past injustices and to cooperate to advance the common good; and (2) such Army to cease providing assistance to the Serbian insurgents in Croatia. Urges federal and republican government leaders to: (1) guarantee the rights of minorities within their borders; (2) recognize the inadmissibility of change in borders except through negotiation and mutual consent; and (3) institute economic reform based on free market principles. Urges the President and Secretary of State to support the formation of a Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe peacekeeping force to assist in enforcing ceasefire compliance and its deployment in Yugoslavia.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1991
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Enrollment Improvement and Protection Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include in the annual mailing to Medicare beneficiaries: (1) a clear and simple explanation of the availability of and the requirements to qualify for Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act) payment of their premiums, deductibles, and copayments under Medicare; (2) the toll-free telephone number to be established by the Secretary for information on such assistance; and (3) an initial application for such assistance. Directs the Secretary to develop a poster containing the information listed above and distribute it to service providers in order to publicize the availability of such assistance. Amends the Medicaid program to direct the Secretary to: (1) establish a process for using local Social Security Administration offices for the distribution and receipt of applications for such assistance; (2) transmit such applications to the appropriate State agency; (3) develop a form to be available at such offices which individuals may use to request additional information on or an application for such assistance; and (4) distribute such form to entities receiving grants for programs to provide services to older individuals. Requires States to provide for a process for receiving, distributing, and processing applications for such assistance and for responding to requests for information on or applications for such assistance. Allows individuals who qualified during a certain period for Medicaid payment of Medicare costs to temporarily apply for retroactive payment of any medical costs incurred but not paid under a State plan required to provide for making Medicaid payment of Medicare costs available to Medicare beneficiaries. Allows States, in determining the income level for individuals who seek to qualify for Medicaid payment of Medicare costs, to exclude expenses for medical care incurred by the individual that are not reimbursed under a public program of the State or political subdivision thereof, a health plan, or Medicare. Directs the Secretary to establish a grant program to provide outreach services to enable individuals who are entitled to receive Medicaid payment of Medicare costs to receive such assistance. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1991
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the President should make clear that the United States supports the restoration of the democratically elected government of President Aristide in Haiti; (2) all U.S. assistance to the Haitian Government should remain suspended until democratic government is restored; (3) the Haitian military should respect the human rights of the Haitian people; (4) the Organization of American States should be commended for condemning the coup and for its Santiago commitment creating a new automatic mechanism to respond to the interruption of legitimate elected government; and (5) the international community should take all appropriate action to restore democratic government in Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Illegal Alien Transportation Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit transportation of illegal aliens for employment purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Immigration Document Fraud Prevention Act of 1991 - Provides for: (1) the replacement of current green cards with new counterfeit-resistant identification cards (which shall not be considered national identity cards) for all permanent resident aliens eligible to work in the United States; (2) a national program to educate employers about their responsibilities under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the uses of such cards; and (3) a demonstration program to determine the feasibility of a computerized telephone worker verification system for employers. Increases immigration fraud penalties. Authorizes FY 1993 and 1994 appropriations for activities under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Improved Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 1991 - Increases FY 1993 personnel levels and funding for the Border Patrol. Provides for inservice training to familiarize Border Patrol personnel with the rights and varied cultural backgrounds of aliens and citizens. Authorizes FY 1993 appropriations. Increases FY 1993 personnel levels in the Wage and Hour Division with the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor, and assigns such additional personnel to areas with high concentrations of undocumented aliens. Increases for FY 1993 the number of Assistant United States Attorney positions, and assigns such additional personnel to prosecute persons who harbor or bring into the United States illegal aliens. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties for harboring or bringing into the United States aliens for profit. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Attorney General and the Secretary of State should initiate programs with Mexico and Canada to prevent and prosecute the smuggling of aliens into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Employer Sanctions Improvements Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the issuance of new counterfeit-resistant social security cards to employable aliens solely for the purpose of providing employment eligibility. Requires that cards issued to certain aliens specify the work authorization expiration date. Requires employers to: (1) maintain records of employee expiration dates; and (2) request expired-date employees to provide new cards. Directs the Administrator of Social Security to update the Social Security database with regard to such social security cards. States that such cards shall not be considered a national identity card. Authorizes FY 1993 and 1994 appropriations. Directs the Attorney General to conduct a related nationwide employer education program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1991
Urges the President to call upon the President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to begin negotiations with leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for the prompt withdrawal of Soviet troops from the Baltic States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1991
Directs the Secretary of Education to report within six months to the Congress on the use of Pell Grants (as student assistance under the Higher Education Act of 1965) by prisoners, including specified types of information, analyses, and recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1991
Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 - Declares it is U.S. policy to: (1) seek multilaterally coordinated efforts with other countries to control the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons; and (2) strengthen efforts to control chemical agents, precursors, and equipment. Requires the President to use the U.S. export control laws to control the export of defense articles, defense services, goods, and technologies that he determines would assist a country in acquiring the capability to produce or use such weapons. Amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a list of goods and technology that would assist a foreign government or group in acquiring chemical or biological weapons. Requires a validated export license for the export of such items to certain countries of concern. Requires the President to impose certain sanctions against foreign persons if he determines that they knowingly contributed to the efforts of a country to acquire, use, or stockpile chemical or biological weapons. Declares such sanctions to include: (1) denial of U.S. procurement contracts for goods or services from such foreign persons; and (2) prohibition against importation of products from such persons. Authorizes the President to waive imposition of such sanctions if he determines that is in the national security interests of the United States. Amends the Arms Export Control Act to set forth similar provisions. Requires the President to make a determination with respect to whether a country has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. Authorizes specified congressional committees to request the President to make such determination with respect to the use of such weapons. Requires the President to impose the following sanctions against foreign countries that have been found to have used such weapons: (1) termination of assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (except humanitarian assistance and agricultural commodities); (2) termination of arms sales and arms sales financing; (3) denial of U.S. credit; and (4) prohibition of the export of certain goods and technology. Directs the President to impose at least three of the following additional sanctions unless such countries cease the use of such weapons and provide assurances that they will not use, and will allow inspections with respect to, such weapons: (1) opposition to the extension of multilateral development bank assistance; (2) prohibition of U.S. bank loans (except loans for food or agricultural commodities); (3) further export prohibitions (4) import restrictions; (5) suspension of diplomatic relations; and (6) termination of air carrier landing rights. Provides for the removal and waiver of such sanctions. Requires the President to submit to the Congress annual reports on the efforts of countries to acquire chemical or biological weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1991
Congratulates the Government and people of Greece, and the municipal government and people of Athens, on the 2500th anniversary of the establishment of democracy in the city of Athens.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1991
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991 - Title I: Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program - Establishes an emergency unemployment compensation program. Allows any State to enter into and participate in an agreement with the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) under which the State agency which administers the State unemployment compensation law will make payments of emergency unemployment compensation: (1) to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under State law, have no rights to such regular compensation or any additional State or Federal compensation, and are not receiving Canadian compensation; and (2) for any week of unemployment beginning in the individual's eligibility period. Sets forth provisions relating to exhaustion of regular benefits and weekly amount of emergency benefits equal to regular benefits. Requires a State, under such an agreement, to establish an emergency unemployment compensation account with respect to the benefit year of each eligible individual who files an application. Limits benefit payments to not more than the amount in the individual's account. Sets forth formulas for determining the amount in such account. Provides that the applicable limit in such account shall be equal to: (1) ten weeks during a five-percent period (triggered if the adjusted rate of insured unemployment for such week and the immediately perceding 12 weeks is at least five percent; and (2) six weeks for any other period. Sets forth special rules relating to such applicable limits. Requires reduction in such account by the amount of extended benefits received by the individual relating to the same benefit year under the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970. Sets the weekly benefit amount at the amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable under the State law to the individual for such week for total unemployment. Provides for determination of periods and applicable triggers. Provides for a minimum period. Provides, in general, that no emergency unemployment compensation shall be payable to any individual under this Act for any week beginning: (1) before the later of October 1, 1991, or the first week following the week in which an agreement under this Act is entered into; or (2) after June 30, 1992. Sets forth transition and reachback provisions for the eligibility of certain individuals for such benefits, as exceptions to such general rule. Provides for payments to States having such agreements for emergency unemployment compensation. Sets forth financing provisions. Requires that funds in the extended unemployment compensation account of the Unemployment Trust Fund be used to make payments to States having agreements under this Act. Authorizes appropriations to the extended unemployment compensation account of sums necessary to pay emergency unemployment compensation payable: (1) under specified provisions for former members of the Armed Forces; and (2) on the basis of certain services performed for nonprofit organizations or governmental entities, to which certain Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to State unemployment compensation law apply. Sets forth provisions relating to fraud and overpayments. Defines the individual eligibility period under this Act. Amends specified Federal law to repeal certain limitations on payment of unemployment compensation to former members of the Armed Forces. Reduces the length of required active duty by reserves for purposes for such payment, if the reservist served on active duty in the Persian Gulf area of operations in connection with Operation Desert Storm. Title II: Collection of Nontax Debts - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 to provide for permanent extension of provisions relating to collection of nontax debts owed to Federal agencies. Title III: Guaranteed Student Loans - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise provisions relating to the Stafford student loan program (including guaranteed student loans and federally-insured student loans). Requires, in the case of such student loan applicants over age 21, that the lender: (1) obtain a credit report; and (2) require a cosigner for such applicants who have adverse credit histories. Allows the lender to charge such applicants for the actual cost of such credit reports, up to $25. Requires the lender to obtain the borrower's driver's license number, if any, at the time of application for such a student loan. Directs eligible institutions to require borrowers of any student loan under HEA to supply the following exit interview information: (1) their expected permanent address after leaving the institution; (2) the name and address of their expected employer; and (3) the name and address of their next of kin. Requires student loan interest-subsidy insurance program agreements to require the lender to obtain the borrower's authorization for entry of judgment against the borrower in the event of default. Provides for wage garnishment for student loan collection. Authorizes a guaranty agency, or the Secretary where appropriate, to garnish the disposable pay of an individual to collect the amount owed or the required repayment, subject to certain conditions. Provides for data matching. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to obtain from Federal agencies specified information relating to an individual for student loan collection purposes. Title IV: Electromagnetic Spectrum Function - Emerging Telecommunications Technologies Act of 1991 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct biannual joint electromagnetic spectrum planning meetings with respect to: (1) future spectrum needs and the allocation actions to accommodate those needs; and (2) actions to promote the efficient use of the spectrum. Requires an open process and joint annual reports to the President. Directs the Secretary to submit reports to the President that identify frequency bands that: (1) are allocated on a primary basis for Government use and eligible for licensing pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934 (the Act); (2) are not required for the present or identifiable future Government needs; (3) can be made available for use under the Act for non-Government users; (4) are likely to have significant value for such users; and (5) will not result in excessive costs to the Government. Sets forth criteria for identifying, and recommending for reassignment or sharing, such frequency bands. Requires such reports to make an initial identification of 30MHz of spectrum for immediate reallocation and distribution by the FCC pursuant to competitive bidding procedures, and preliminary and final identifications of additional reallocable frequency bands. Directs the Secretary to convene a private sector advisory committee to: (1) review frequency bands identified in the preliminary report; (2) advise the Secretary with respect to those bands which should be included in the final report; (3) receive public comment on the reports; and (4) prepare and submit to the Secretary and specified congressional committees a report on recommendations for the reform of allocating the spectrum between Government and non-Government users. Directs the President to: (1) withdraw or limit the assignment to a Government station of any frequency recommended in the initial identification report for rellocation; (2) withdraw or limit the assignment to a Government station of any frequency recommended in the final report for reallocation or mixed use; (3) assign or reassign other frequencies to Government stations as necessary to adjust to such withdrawal or limitation of assignments; and (4) publish in the Federal Register a notice and description of such actions taken. Authorizes the President to substitute alternative frequencies in the interests of national security, important Government needs, public health or safety, or Federal financial considerations. Provides that any Government licensee, or non-Government entity operating on behalf of a Government licensee, that is displaced from a frequency pursuant to this Act may be reimbursed not more than the incremental costs it incurs, in such amounts as provided in advance in appropriation Acts, that are directly attributable to the loss of the use of the frequency pursuant to this Act. Authorizes appropriations to affected licensee agencies to cover such costs. Directs the FCC to form a plan to assign the spectrum identified in the initial report pursuant to competitive bidding procedures during FY 1994 through 1996. Directs the FCC to submit to the President a plan for the distribution of the remaining reallocated frequency bands. Authorizes the President to reclaim reallocated frequencies for reassignment to Government stations. Sets forth procedures for reclaiming frequencies. Amends the Act to require the FCC to use competitive bidding for awarding all initial licenses and new construction permits, subject to specified exclusions. Outlines criteria for awarding licenses and permits under competitive bidding procedures. Prohibits licensing by lottery when competitive bidding is required. Title V: Dislocated Workers - Directs the Secretary of Labor to give special consideration to providing services to dislocated workers in the timber industry in the State of Washington, in determining specified programs and activities to be funded under the Job Training Partnership Act in FY 1991 and 1992. Title VI: Deficit Reduction Requirement - Set forth the congressional finding that provisions contained in titles I through V of this Act would lead to a reduction in the deficit. Declares that the Congress designates all direct spending amounts (both increases and decreases) provided by such titles (for all fiscal years) as emergency requirements under specified provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Requires, as a condition for any provisions of this Act to take effect, that the President: (1) make a determination and notify the Congress that this Act would reduce the deficit cumulatively for FY 1991 through 1996; and (2) submits a written designation of all direct spending amounts (both increases and decreases provided by titles I through V of this Act for all fiscal years) as emergency requirements under such specified provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1991
Medicare EKG Payment Restoration Act of 1991 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) reestablish separate payment for the interpretation of electrocardiograms (EKGs) that are ordered or performed during an office visit or consultation with a physician; and (2) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish separate fee schedule amounts for EKG interpretations and to adjust the relative values established for office visits to or consultations with a physician to reflect the establishment of such separate fee schedule amounts. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish practice guidelines for the use of EKGs for dissemination along with other educational information relating to the use of EKGs to physicians; (2) develop a profile of the use of EKGs by physicians; and (3) conduct a study and report to the Congress on the utilization and costs of EKGs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1991
Revises provisions concerning health care for members and certain former members of the armed forces to entitle members or former members who are eligible for retired or retainer pay and for Medicare to medical and dental care in any uniformed service medical facility. Provides that such facilities will recover the costs of such care from Medicare Subvention funding. Provides that the costs of care for members or former members who are not eligible for Medicare will be recovered from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) Subvention funding. Revises provisions concerning health care for military dependents to provide that the uniformed services facilities providing such care will recover costs from Medicare or CHAMPUS, as appropriate. Prohibits medical or dental care from being provided to an otherwise eligible person at a military treatment facility only if the senior or commanding officer of such facility determines that such facility cannot provide the particular care required because of lack of space or facilities or because such type of care is not provided at such facility. Requires the administering Secretary to be advised immediately when a determination to deny treatment is made, with a verifiable date as to when the restriction will be removed. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to make Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs treatment facilities eligible for Medicare payments as long as they meet requirements applicable to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities under such title.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1991
Amends Federal provisions with respect to the veterans' home loan guaranty program to provide that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: (1) may not report for income purposes to any department or agency outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs the waiver of an indebtedness or of recovery of a payment or overpayment made under such program, or the acceptance of a compromise or the forgoing of collection in settlement of a claim with respect to any veterans' benefit under any law administered by the Department; and (2) shall not notify the veteran or other eligible person of any potential liability regarding the income status of any such waiver or forgone amount.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1991
Extends nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the products of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to remove their products from the column two duty rate.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United Nations (UN) Security Council should dispatch an armed force to end the fighting in Croatia; and (2) after quelling the fighting, the UN should hold a high-level conference on the future status of Yugoslav republics and put in place a peacekeeping force in Croatia.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 1991
Baltic Nations Assistance Act - Considers Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to be eligible East European countries for purposes of any program of assistance for Eastern Europe.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 1991
Commends the people of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and their democratically elected leaders for their continuing courage and commitment to freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1991
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish and update clearly defined arrival and departure routes leading to and from airports located within and in close proximity to terminal control areas and airport radar service areas for the optional use of pilots operating under visual flight rules.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1991
Foreign Capital and Securities Markets Study Act of 1991 -Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to the Congress on the capital and securities markets of Japan and their implications for and economic effects on the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1991
Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary Notification Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services' annual notice to Medicare beneficiaries to: (1) notify such beneficiaries of the availability of and the requirements to qualify for Medicaid (title XIX of the Act) payment of their premiums, deductibles, and copayments under Medicare; and (2) contain an initial application for such assistance. Requires participating physicians and hospitals to post conspicuously a notice of the availability of such assistance. Amends the Medicaid program to State plans to provide for the establishment and operation of a toll-free hotline to provide information on such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1991
Semiconductor Investment Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify the depreciable life for semiconductor manufacturing equipment as three-year property.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1991
Veterans Dignity in Health Care Act of 1991 - Grants veterans who are patients or residents in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, nursing homes, and domiciliaries the right to purchase and use tobacco products. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that: (1) each VA facility that maintains a commissary or canteen makes tobacco products available through, and provides patients or residents access to, the commissary or canteen; and (2) each VA facility maintains and provides patients or residents access to an indoor patient smoking area.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1991
Military Retirement Equity Act of 1991 - Permits retired members of the armed forces to be paid retirement pay concurrently with compensation for any service-connected disability if the person's entitlement to such retirement pay is based solely on: (1) age; (2) length of service; or (3) both. Reduces the amount of retirement pay, in the case of individuals receiving both types of pay, by a specified percentage of the disability compensation which decreases as the disability rating increases. Prohibits any reduction in the retirement pay of a disabled person when the disability rating is total. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, once the Federal budget deficit has been reduced, the Congress should reexamine and eliminate any offset of retired pay by a veteran's disability compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1991
Police Corps and Law Enforcement Training and Education Act - Establishes within the Department of Justice (DOJ) an Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education to be headed by a Director. Requires a State that desires to participate in the Police Corps program to designate a lead agency and submit a State plan containing assurances with respect to: (1) lead agency cooperation with other State and local agencies; (2) the State advertising of the assistance available; (3) State screening and selection of law enforcement personnel for participation in the program; and (4) compliance with other specified requirements. Authorizes the Director to award college scholarships (including direct payments to institutions and reimbursement of educational costs) to participants who agree to work for four years in a State or local police force after completion of a baccalaureate program and police corps training, subject to specified conditions. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) scholarship assistance for dependent children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty; (2) the selection of participants; (3) minority recruitment; and (4) leaves of absence. Requires the Director to establish programs to provide basic law enforcement training to State Police Corps program participants. Authorizes such programs to be carried out: (1) at up to three training centers established and administered by the Director; or (2) by contracting with existing State training facilities. Requires participants to attend two eight-week training sessions at such training centers and to meet certain performance standards in order to remain in the Police Corps program. Requires the Director to pay participants a weekly stipend during training. Provides for the swearing in of participants as members of the police force to which they are assigned after completing Federal training and meeting the requirements of that police force. Authorizes the Director, upon a showing of good cause, to permit a participant to complete the service obligation in an equivalent alternative law enforcement service, if the police force of which the participant is a member subjects the participant to discipline which would preclude completion of four years of service on that force. Requires a State, in order to participate in the Police Corps program, to submit a plan for implementing such program to the Director for approval. Requires such plan to: (1) include assurances that participants will receive effective training and leadership; (2) provide that program participants shall be assigned to community and preventive patrol in geographic areas with the greatest need for additional law enforcement personnel; and (3) prohibit participant assignment to any local police force whose size has declined by a specified portion or which has members who have been laid off but not retired. Requires the Director to report annually on the Police Corps program to the Attorney General, the President, and specified congressional officials. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1991
Omnibus Space Commercialization Act of 1991 - Title I: Space Launch and Launch Support Facilities - Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all space launch and launch support facilities owned by the United States, identifying facilities that are surplus to public and national security needs, and report to the Congress. Requires all facilities identified as surplus to be referred to the General Services Administration for disposition. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish criteria for and designate launch facilities as Commercial Space Centers. Makes all Centers and associated property, services, and products, including such services and activities in space as are launched from a Center, and proceeds from insurance exempt from all Federal corporate income and other taxes and all Federal excises, imports, duties, and all other Federal tariffs. Requires the United States to make available to commercial providers on a fair rental basis, based on the cost to the United States, launch and support facilities not in use for public and national security needs. Title II: Purchase of Space Transportation Services - Space Transportation Services Purchase Act of 1991 - Amends the Launch Services Purchase Act of 1990 to require the Federal Government to purchase space transportation services from commercial providers, unless the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the Secretary of Defense, on a case-by-case basis, determines: (1) the payload requires the unique capabilities of the space shuttle; (2) commercial services are not or would not be available when required; or (3) the use of commercial services poses an unacceptable risk of loss of a unique scientific opportunity. Allows space transportation vehicles to be acquired or owned by the Government only in such circumstances or for research, development, and testing of space transportation technology. Requires the service contracts to be awarded by competitive bidding. Prohibits, subject to exception, requiring submission of cost or pricing data supporting a bid or proposal or for the fulfillment of a contract. Requires performance specifications rather than Federal civilian or military design or construction specifications. Mandates a program to award vouchers for the payment of space transportation services and payload integration services for conducting microgravity biomedical, materials, or other research. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Intellectual Property Disposition - Requires that a commercial provider making an invention under contract with the Government have the same rights as would a small business firm under specified provisions of Federal patent law. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to require (current law permits) each Federal agency to permit the director of any of its Government-operated Federal laboratories and, in certain circumstances, the director of any of its Government-owned, contractor-operated laboratories to enter into cooperative research and development agreements and to negotiate licensing agreements. Prohibits disclosure of trade secrets or commercial or financial information, that is privileged or confidential under the meaning of specified Federal law, which is obtained by the Government in the conduct of research or as a result of activities under this Act. Title IV: Tax Incentives for Commercial Space Activities - Space Business Incentives Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for the amount of the purchase of Commercial Space Center stock. Excludes from gross income gain on the sale or exchange of common stock of a corporation that derived at least 75 percent of its gross receipts from providing space-related products or services. Adds space launch and launch support facilities to the list of exempt facility bonds. Provides for the treatment of space launch and launch support facilities bonds. Excludes from gross income: (1) income from the commercial sale of any product manufactured in space and returned to Earth; and (2) income from services performed in space in a commercial space activity. Excludes products manufactured in space and returned to Earth from all Federal excises, imposts, duties, and other Federal tariffs. Directs the President to encourage State and local governments to offer tax and other incentives for commercial space activities. Title V: Miscellaneous - Declares that, notwithstanding specified provisions of the Clayton Act and the National Cooperative Research Act of 1984, standing to conduct litigation arising from activities carried out under this Act is reserved to the Department of Justice under the direction of the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. Makes injunctive relief the sole relief available to the United States in such litigation, notwithstanding specified provisions of such Acts. Amends the Commercial Space Launch Act to extend certain provisions relating to liability insurance. Mandates a study on the feasibility of the United States providing termination liability insurance for commercial providers of certain categories of products and services. Declares that, subject to exception, in any action against a commercial provider arising from activities under this Act, evidence of failure of the provider to follow military or NASA specifications shall not, in and of itself, constitute proof of negligence. Establishes a National Award for the Commercialization of Space to consist of a medal and, if funding is available, a cash prize, to be awarded to persons or organizations who have substantially advanced space transportation, manufacturing, or research and development. Authorizes the Chairman of the National Space Council to seek and accept gifts of money from public and private sources to fund the cash prize. Establishes in the Department of Commerce the Office of Space Commerce to be the principal unit for the coordination of space-related issues, programs, and initiatives within the Department. Requires each Federal agency or department with an annual research and development budget over a specified amount to report to the Congress: (1) regarding a plan for activities to support space-related research; and (2) biennially on implementation progress. Requires the United States to accommodate commercial advertising by concerns providing or recycling space-related products, facilities, or services. Requires that negotiations between NASA and a commercial provider on implementation of a joint endeavor agreement or procurement agreement under a specified dollar amount be conducted in a timely manner. Requires the United States, to the extent practicable, to procure its space infrastructure, launch and launch support facilities, and payloads: (1) from commercial providers; and (2) so as to encourage cost effectiveness and innovation and minimize detailed specifications. Mandates a report to the President and the Congress on using proof of concept methods and unsolicited proposals. Terminates specified provisions of this Act 15 years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1991
Tax Fairness and Accountability Act of 1991 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require any legislation that increases the tax rate, the tax base, or the amount of income subject to tax, or decreases a deduction, exclusion, or credit to be approved in the House of Representatives and the Senate by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of its Members.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1991
All-Americans Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide individuals a deduction for capital gains based on the period the asset is held (up to three years). Excludes collectibles from such assets. Makes such deduction an item of tax preferences. Excludes from gross income interest received during a taxable year up to $350 ($700 in the case of a joint return). Provides a phaseout of such exclusion for incomes over $50,000. Makes such exclusion applicable to distributions from regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts. Makes certain nonresident aliens ineligible for such exclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1991
Medicare Physician Payment Reform Amendments of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the transition rules for phasing in the resource-based relative value scale (RB RVS) method of payment for physician services to prohibit adjustments for asymmetry in the transition and for behavioral responses. Declares spending under this Act to be an emergency requirement under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) and exempt from sequestration.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1991
Recognizes and grants a Federal charter to the Military Order of the World Wars, a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1991
Amends the Federal criminal code to: (1) delete the $250 cap on the maximum fine for the unauthorized wearing, manufacturing, or selling of military decorations or medals; and (2) include trades, barters, or exchanges for anything of value as sales.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1991
Affordable Health Insurance Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individuals a tax credit for 33 percent of qualified health insurance premiums. Limits such credit to specified amounts based on the age of the qualifying individual. Provides an annual adjustment of such amounts based on the Consumer Price Index. Disallows such credit for individuals entitled to benefits under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Prohibits such credit from being taken into account when determining the medical expense deduction. Allows individuals a tax credit for 33 percent of the contributions made to a tax-exempt medical care savings account established for the benefit of qualifying individuals (the taxpayer or spouse). Sets forth limitations on such accounts concerning: (1) coverage by a qualified health insurance plan; (2) retention of contributions for at least 180 days before distribution; (3) balance requirements of at least $1,000 after the third year; and (4) a maximum credit of $825, adjusted for inflation after 1992. Provides for including amounts distributed from such accounts to the gross income of the distributee unless such amounts are used for eligible medical care expenses. Prohibits distributions from such accounts from being taken into account when determining medical expense deductions. Establishes an excise tax on excess contributions to and prohibited transactions of medical care savings accounts. Declares that no Federal or State law may be construed to prohibit or restrict group health insurance. Provides a preemption from State insurance mandates. Limits the amount excluded from gross income for contributions by an employer to an accident or health plan to specified amounts adjusted for inflation after 1992).
![Official portrait of Rep. Lagomarsino, Robert J. [R-CA-19]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000020_200.jpg)